The Star (28/3/2008): Selangor government has sent a letter to the state Education Department demanding an explanation over a directive to schools barring them from allowing representatives from the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), DAP and PAS to officiate at functions.
State executive councillor Dr Xavier Jayakumar said the government had learnt of the directive that barred the representatives from officiating at official school or Parent Teacher Association (PTA) functions recently.
“We do not understand the rationale behind the directive because these representatives are from the state government and they have been elected to office by the people and should be able to attend the functions without problems,” he said.
He said headmasters in the state had been given both written and verbal warnings against allowing representatives from the three parties to officiate at functions.
State executive councillor Dr Xavier Jayakumar said the government had learnt of the directive that barred the representatives from officiating at official school or Parent Teacher Association (PTA) functions recently.
“We do not understand the rationale behind the directive because these representatives are from the state government and they have been elected to office by the people and should be able to attend the functions without problems,” he said.
He said headmasters in the state had been given both written and verbal warnings against allowing representatives from the three parties to officiate at functions.
Temple issue: Muniandy (left) handing over a memorandum to Khalid (right) and Xavier (Courtesy of The Star)
He said Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim had sent the letter to the state Education Department after learning of the directive and had asked for a full explanation on the matter.
Earlier, Xavier and Shah Alam MP Khalid Abdul Samad visited the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in Section 11, Shah Alam to meet with the temple committee over the issue of its current location.
Sri Maha Mariamman Temple chairman M. Muniandy said the temple had been at its current location for the past 125 years and had served the early plantation workers brought in from India by the British government.
He said in the 60s, the Selangor government decided to develop the estate through the Selangor Development Corporation (PKNS) and the committee had been applying for the land since.
“But the land was instead alienated to the school next to our temple and we have been repeatedly asked to move without any alternative plot of land being given to us,” he said.
Xavier said the state could not settle the land issue as it was under the Education Ministry but would write a letter supporting the temple’s request for the land.
“If that fails then we will try to find an alternative site that is close enough for the devotees go to as this is the only temple serving Hindus from Section 3 to 7 in Shah Alam,” he said.
“I have only been in office (as an exco member) a few days but my phone has not stopped ringing and I have been listening to many issues affecting the Indian community,” he said, adding that the community turned to him because he was the only Indian representative in the state executive council.
He said solving the problems was among his main priorities and the people should start seeing some results within the next 100 days.
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